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cosmolinguistWhat's your name, where are you from, and which committee(s) are you standing for?
Gordon Lishman
Burnley
Federal Board and Federal Policy Committee
Are you standing for the first time or restanding? If first time what new thing do you bring that nobody else could; if restanding, what about your record are you most proud of that you think should make us vote you back in?
Re-standing.
In general, community politics, managing ALC/ALDC through merger and building party democracy including giving the Party a say in coalition agreements, elected Leader, FPC control of Manifesto.
On the FE: fighting for good governance, supporting S/AOs, holding the Party Establishment to account and arguing for a strong, clear Party strategy. Promoting a Leadership Academy to recruit, motivate and support the next generation of local leaders in the Party.
Are you standing for any other committees, if so which ones; and if elected to more than one how do you plan to divide your time?
It is only possible to be elected to one of the Federal Committees under a section (which I drafted) of the new Constitution. I have given the FB my first priority and the FPC my second priority. Now retired, I have the time to undertake LibDem work and do so at every level from ward Focus Editor to international links.
Are you an active member of any SAOs, and if so which ones?
Humanist & Secularist LibDems; LBGT+; ALDC; EMLD
If someone asked you on the doorstep, the hustings or on TV to sum up in one or two sentences what the Lib Dems, uniquely, stand for – and then why anyone should vote for us – what are your answers?
Depends on the doorstep!
In Burnley: (1) building local and community participation in decisions which affect us; and (2) greater equality in wealth, income, health and power.
What is your view on diversity quotas for committees? Should they be extended to cover more than just gender, scrapped totally, kept as is or something else?
They should include BAME representation and much better geographical balance. For instance, I am currently the only directly elected FE member from any of the three Northern, two Midland and two Western Regions! However, quotas should only be applied where enough people are to be elected so that diversity doesn't dictate the whole membership.
Secrecy rules prevent the party knowing what committees are doing. What will you do to communicate with members; and in what circumstances is confidentiality justified?
I wrote into Article 7 of the new Constitution that Committees must have "a transparency policy which sets out when discussions,,,,and papers......shall be confidential and which keeps confidentiality to a necessary minimum" and that there should be "provision for reports....to party members......within 14 days ......of the meeting".
Confidentiality should cover staff matters, disciplinary proceedings and cases where political and strategic decisions could be advantageous to opponents, although this last should be narrowly interpreted.
As the party has now backed the principle of OMOV, how will you ensure all members are represented, not just those who can afford to go to Conference?
Conference is not the only point of decision or influential debate on the way the Party works. Regional structures should be much more integrated into developing and deciding strategy, priorities and policy. The Party should engage with members much more thoroughly on all these issues. Participation is about supported debate at every level as well as making websites available. We should be building a much more participative party as a key strategic priority. Conferences should be held North of the M4; South of the A59, West of the A1 and East of the M5/M6.
If police accreditation to attend conference was proposed again, would you support or oppose it and why?
Oppose, unless it involved significant extra costs or risks, e.g. through insurance.
What is your view on electoral pacts? Should the party make them, and if so, who with?
Very occasionally, only locally and only for one election at a time.
Questions for Candidates for FPC:
Please answer the questions on this page if you are standing for FPC; if you are not standing for FPC then skip ahead.
If you had the power to do so unilaterally, what one party (not government) policy would you change, and what would you change it to?
We need to much stronger and braver on most aspects of social justice, including welfare, redistribution and worker participation.
What is your view on electoral pacts? Should the party make them, and if so, who with?
Very occasionally, only locally and only for one election at a time.
The list of all candidates who have answered can be found here.
Gordon Lishman
Burnley
Federal Board and Federal Policy Committee
Are you standing for the first time or restanding? If first time what new thing do you bring that nobody else could; if restanding, what about your record are you most proud of that you think should make us vote you back in?
Re-standing.
In general, community politics, managing ALC/ALDC through merger and building party democracy including giving the Party a say in coalition agreements, elected Leader, FPC control of Manifesto.
On the FE: fighting for good governance, supporting S/AOs, holding the Party Establishment to account and arguing for a strong, clear Party strategy. Promoting a Leadership Academy to recruit, motivate and support the next generation of local leaders in the Party.
Are you standing for any other committees, if so which ones; and if elected to more than one how do you plan to divide your time?
It is only possible to be elected to one of the Federal Committees under a section (which I drafted) of the new Constitution. I have given the FB my first priority and the FPC my second priority. Now retired, I have the time to undertake LibDem work and do so at every level from ward Focus Editor to international links.
Are you an active member of any SAOs, and if so which ones?
Humanist & Secularist LibDems; LBGT+; ALDC; EMLD
If someone asked you on the doorstep, the hustings or on TV to sum up in one or two sentences what the Lib Dems, uniquely, stand for – and then why anyone should vote for us – what are your answers?
Depends on the doorstep!
In Burnley: (1) building local and community participation in decisions which affect us; and (2) greater equality in wealth, income, health and power.
What is your view on diversity quotas for committees? Should they be extended to cover more than just gender, scrapped totally, kept as is or something else?
They should include BAME representation and much better geographical balance. For instance, I am currently the only directly elected FE member from any of the three Northern, two Midland and two Western Regions! However, quotas should only be applied where enough people are to be elected so that diversity doesn't dictate the whole membership.
Secrecy rules prevent the party knowing what committees are doing. What will you do to communicate with members; and in what circumstances is confidentiality justified?
I wrote into Article 7 of the new Constitution that Committees must have "a transparency policy which sets out when discussions,,,,and papers......shall be confidential and which keeps confidentiality to a necessary minimum" and that there should be "provision for reports....to party members......within 14 days ......of the meeting".
Confidentiality should cover staff matters, disciplinary proceedings and cases where political and strategic decisions could be advantageous to opponents, although this last should be narrowly interpreted.
As the party has now backed the principle of OMOV, how will you ensure all members are represented, not just those who can afford to go to Conference?
Conference is not the only point of decision or influential debate on the way the Party works. Regional structures should be much more integrated into developing and deciding strategy, priorities and policy. The Party should engage with members much more thoroughly on all these issues. Participation is about supported debate at every level as well as making websites available. We should be building a much more participative party as a key strategic priority. Conferences should be held North of the M4; South of the A59, West of the A1 and East of the M5/M6.
If police accreditation to attend conference was proposed again, would you support or oppose it and why?
Oppose, unless it involved significant extra costs or risks, e.g. through insurance.
What is your view on electoral pacts? Should the party make them, and if so, who with?
Very occasionally, only locally and only for one election at a time.
Questions for Candidates for FPC:
Please answer the questions on this page if you are standing for FPC; if you are not standing for FPC then skip ahead.
If you had the power to do so unilaterally, what one party (not government) policy would you change, and what would you change it to?
We need to much stronger and braver on most aspects of social justice, including welfare, redistribution and worker participation.
What is your view on electoral pacts? Should the party make them, and if so, who with?
Very occasionally, only locally and only for one election at a time.
The list of all candidates who have answered can be found here.